The last time the Browns wanted a new stadium, it didn’t end well. The Browns reportedly want a new stadium.
A report from neo-trans.blog that was picked up by the News-Herald indicates that the franchise that returned to the NFL in 1999 with a new stadium may want another new stadium.
The question, as it often is with existing stadiums, is whether to renovate or replace. The Browns, per the report, are looking at local locations for a new venue.
Browns spokesman Peter John-Baptiste told neo-trans.blog that it is “a little too far out in front of the story.” As noted by Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald, co-owner Dee Haslam raised the possibility of a new stadium in 2018.
“The main thing is to start the conversation, at some point,” Dee Haslam said at the time. “I don’t know that we’re ready to start the conversation, but we are ready to get all the information we can about what’s possible. So I think it’s really important to find out what’s possible.”
The team’s lease at the current stadium runs through 2028. Which means there’s time to figure things out.
A new stadium would quite possibly include a dome or a retractable roof. This would allow it to be used for other events, especially in the colder months.
Like every other stadium project, the taxpayer contribution will become a major factor. The last time around, a lack of public funding resulted in the Browns becoming the Ravens. While it’s way too early to contemplate the Browns leaving Cleveland again, it’s not too early to realize that, when it’s time for a new stadium, the Haslams definitely won’t want to pay for it by themselves.
